Trump Says He'll Speak Japan's Praises in China with Xi (Full Q&A)

Summary

• Former President Trump argues for a significant increase in military spending, requesting an additional $200 billion from Congress, citing a volatile world and the need for vast ammunition reserves.
• He claims the U.S. military-industrial base is expanding unprecedentedly, citing specific contractors: Raytheon is building four factories and Lockheed Martin is building five or six factories "fast."
• Trump states he prohibited defense contractors from using cash for stock buybacks (citing a $51 billion example), redirecting capital towards factory construction instead.
• He is highly critical of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, calling him "grossly incompetent" and "stubborn," and asserts Powell should be lowering interest rates immediately but won't due to "Trump derangement syndrome."
• Trump alleges criminal misconduct in the cost overruns of the Fed's building renovation, claiming a project costing billions could have been done for $25 million.
• On geopolitics, he states the U.S. is defending the Strait of Hormuz for allies like Japan and Europe (who get most of their oil through it) while the U.S. itself does not need it.
• He mentions a forthcoming trip to China where he will "speak Japan's praises" to President Xi Jinping, with U.S.-Japan talks to focus on trade, particularly energy exports from Alaska to Japan.
• Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi emphasizes Japan is "consistently open to dialogue with China" and hopes for a U.S.-China relationship conducive to regional security and global supply chains.